# SC reserves order on Noida DM plea over Rs 5 lakh penalty in NSA case 2026-09-23T13:26:42+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the plea by Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate Medha Roopam challenging the Allahabad High Court order that directed Rs 5 lakh in compensation to be recovered from her salary. The compensation was awarded to student activist Akriti Chaudhary, whose detention under the National Security Act was quashed by the high court. The bench of justices Satish Chandra Sharma and N Kotiswar Singh heard arguments from solicitor general Tushar Mehta for Roopam and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for the Uttar Pradesh government. The high court had found the detention was based on a story 'concocted' by the state and warned that continued 'despotic' conduct by bureaucracy could reduce Uttar Pradesh to an Orwellian dystopia. It directed the amount be deducted from Roopam's salary and that the court's displeasure be recorded in her service record. The Supreme Court observed it could not isolate Roopam as fine of Rs 5 lakh when the decision involved multiple levels including SHO, DCP and commissioner. The court allowed Chaudhary's lawyer to file a response before passing the final order. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The pro-government framing, led by Times of India and Hindustan Times, foregrounds the multi-stage decision process and the Supreme Court's hesitation to single out the DM. The critical framing, from the Allahabad High Court order cited across sources, highlights that the detention was based on a 'concocted' story and warns of bureaucratic despotism. The Economic Times offers a neutral-report balance, giving both sides equal space. The key issue the Supreme Court must decide is whether personal liability attaches to an officer who followed a chain-of-command process, or whether the chain itself shielded no one from accountability for a detention found baseless. The hearing continues. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (pro government) Leads with SC backing DM, foregrounds multi-level process and cites SG argument that DM followed safeguards - hindustantimes.com (pro government) Leads with SC reserving order on DM plea, foregrounds chain-of-command argument and state government defence - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Leads with SC examining DM's role, gives balanced space to both prosecution and defence arguments Tags: Akriti Chaudhary, Allahabad High Court, Medha Roopam, National Security Act, Noida, Supreme Court Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sc-reserves-order-on-noida-dms-plea-over-rs-5-lakh-nsa-compensation/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sc-reserves-order-on-noida-dms-plea-over-rs-5-lakh-nsa-compensation/#story-in-brief